Roadtown, Tortola - Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE on Sunday encouraged the hundreds of residents who turned out for the official re-naming of the Palm Grove Park to the Noel Lloyd/Positive Action Movement Park to build upon the legacy left by the honourees.
Acknowledging the role they played in forcing the termination of the Bates-Hill agreement in 1971, the Premier said “we the people of these Virgin Islands, this generation and those to come, owe an immense debt of gratitude to our brothers and sisters of the Positive Action Movement.”
The original agreement signed with the British company Bates-Hill leased 60 acres of land in the Wickham’s Cay area and three-quarters of Anegada for 199-years. Honourable O’Neal praised the “vision, foresight and bravery” of the members of the Positive Action Movement for restoring the land to local ownership and the pride of the people.
“This is indeed a unifying moment and I am happy to see those of you who have turned out today to show your collective appreciation for these valiant men and women, who showed gutsy determination and moral courage in their quest,” the Premier told those gathered.
He also called on residents to work in hand to create a society of which we can all be proud. “It is our responsibility now to ensure that we continue to build upon the legacy they left us, that of selfless contribution to the development of our homeland,” Honourable O’Neal said.
He added “we all have individual aspirations but I want us to stop for a moment and think about what we can do whether as individuals or as a group to leave an indelible mark on these Virgin Islands. What will our legacy be?”
In his remarks, Fourth District Representative Dr. Vincent Scatliffe honoured the “vision, bravery and patriotism” of the group. Recognising the magnitude of their contribution to the development of the Territory, Dr. Scatliffe said “it was a fight for injustice and inequality, a fight of selfless love for country and preservation of the future for the people of these Virgin Islands.”
Sunday’s re-naming ceremony included a History of Wickham’s Cay delivered by Mrs. Jennie Wheatley, reflections by Mrs. Patsy Lake and Mr. Musa Muhammad of the Positive Action Movement and was interspersed with musical renditions from the Elmore Stoutt High Steel Band, the MD’s of the BVI Music Association, students from the Secondary Division of the Claudia Creque Educational Centre and Mr. Sam Hodge, the son of the late Alford Hodge, one of the former members of the Positive Action Movement.
Presenting some reflections of her own, Mrs. Sarah Lloyd-Gomez, the daughter of the late Noel Lloyd, extended her gratitude for the honouring of her father and his colleagues. “There are heroes in our midst,” she said, “the unsung heroes of the Positive Action Movement.”
In a very moving tribute, Mr. Quito Rhymer rendered his song “My Father’s Land” to which the members of the Positive Action Movement were individually recognised and presented with gifts.
The ceremony ended with the unveiling of statue of Noel Lloyd, which sits atop a monument bearing the names of the members of the Positive Action Movement.
The re-naming of the Palm Grove Park to the Noel Lloyd/ Positive Action Movement Park is in keeping with Government’s commitment to recognise and honour the valuable contributions made to the overall development of the Territory by individuals and groups.
British Virgin Islands News